Shoulder strap pad



Nov. 3, 1964 J. NEWMAN SHOULDER STRAP PAD Filed Jan. 1o, 1954 INVENTOR. JA CK NEWMAN F@ 5 AAW A TTORNEX United States Patent O 3,154,787 SHOULDER STRAP PAD Jack Newman, 336 Scranton Ave., Lynbrook, NX. Filed Jan. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 336,936 4 Claims. (Cl. 2-2) This invention relates to shoulder strap pads, and more particularly concerns shoulder pads which are to be mounted on the Ishoulder straps of ladies garments such as brassieres or the like.

A number of shoulder pad constructions to be used with ladies garments have been proposed. However such known pads present one or more disadvantages and thus find a rather limited use. Some of such pads are rather bulky and affect the appearance of the shoulder portions of the overlying garment. Others are rather stiff and therefore uncomfortable to the wearer. Still others do not prevent the shoulder straps from digging into the shoulder ilesh of the wearer.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved shoulder pad construction for use with vthe shoulder straps of a ladies garment, wherein the pad is of limited thickness and bulk, yet eectively distributes the pressure of the shoulder strap so as to avoid cutting into the esh of the wearer.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved shoulder pad which lends itself to economical fabrication, comprises a minimized amount of padding material, yet provides for maximum comfort for the wearer.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved shoulder pad which is slidably mounted on a shoulder strap of a garment to permit adjusted positioning of the pad on the shoulder strap, yet being adapted to retain its adjusted position without accidental displacement of the pad relative to the shoulder strap.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter .pointed out.

This application is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 218,346, filed August 21, 1962.

In the drawing, FIG. l is a top plan view of a shoulder strap pad embodying the invention, with parts cut away;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a shoulder strap, wit parts broken away, showing another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, designates a shoulder strap pad which is to be slidably mounted on a shoulder strap 11. Pad 1t) comprises a pair of similar pad members 12, 13 of rectangular outline. Each pad member 12, 13 comprises a thin sheet 14 of resilient rubber, polyurethane or resin foam. Each of the foam layers 14 has adhered to the opposite surfaces thereof, fabric facings 15, 15 respectively. The fabric facing 15 may be of tricot while the fabric facing 16 may be of plain woven cloth.

Preferably the pad members 12, 13 are die cut from prelaminated sheets of foam and fabric facings, the foam layer being of a thickness of the order of about V16".

Pad member 12 is formed with a pair of transversely disposed adjacent through slots 17, 1S located near one end 19 thereof, and a similar pair of slots 2t?, 21 located near the other end 22 thereof. The slots 17, 18; 2G, 21 are button hole stitched as at 23.

The pad members 12, 13 are secured together with peripheral stitching 24. Preferably, said pad members are arranged in opposed relation so that the tricot facing 15 of pad member 12 is exposed on one side and woven fabric facing 16 of pad member 13 is exposed on the other side.

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The usual shoulder strap 11 is threaded through slots 17, 18; 20, 21, as shown in the figures, whereby relatively short portions 25 of the strap 11 are disposed between facings 16, 15 of the pad members 12, 13. An extended intermediate portion 26 of strap 11 overlies facing 15 of pad member 12 and strap portions 27, 23 extend over the ends 19, 22 of said pad member.

The strap 11 in its passage through slots 17, 18; 2?, 21 and disposition between the pad members 12, 13 provides ya frictional grip therebetween which allows for movement of the pad 11i to adjusted positions on strap 11, yet leaves the pad in its adjusted position and not subject to accidental displacement along strap 11.

lt has been found that despite the relative thinness of the foam layers 14 of pad members 12, 13; the fabric facings 15, 16 thereon seem to give additional body or pading effect which substantially elminates any digging or cutting into the shoulder of the wearer when the straps 11 are under substantial tension.

ln FIGS. 3, 4, is shown a shoulder strap pad 111A, which is similar to pad 11i, described above; except as hereinafter indicated.

Pad 113A comprises pad members 12, 13 with pad member 12 formed with slots 17, 23; 2b, 21 to pass shoulder strap 11 therethrough essentially as shown in FIGS. 1, 2.

In order to avoid any undesirable movement of shoulder pad 111A relative to strap 11 under all conditions of usage, a soft friction pad 3b is secured to the top surface of fabric facing 15 of slotted pad member 12. Pad 3G is rectangular in shape and is located between innermost slots 18, 21 of pad member 12 so as to dispose the same immediately beneath the intermediate portion 26 of strap 11.

Pad 31B comprises a soft, resilient foam layer 31 reinforced on one side thereof by fabric 32. Pads 36' may be die cut from composite sheets of polyurethane or rubber foam adhesively secured to fabric layers. The friction pad 3i) is secured to pad member 12 with the fabric 32 thereof overlying fabric facing 15 of the pad member, by stitching 33 along the opposite end edges of pad Sii. Preferably the width of friction pad 3? is substantially equal to the length of slots 17, 18; 2i), 21, and therefore substantially equal to the width of strap 11, whereby when shoulder pad 19A is mounted on strap 11 of a garment, not shown; the tension on strap 11 when the garment is worn, will bring the underside of strap portion 26 into intimate Contact with the exposed upper surface of foam layer 31 which is of irregular, roughened character, although soft and resilient.

It has been found that shoulder pad 16A will retain its position on strap 11, and therefor will not shift from the shoulder position of the pad selected by the wearer of the garment including strap 11.

It is understood that friction pad 3i? may also be secured in place on pad member 12 by adhesive, thermal bonding or other modes of attachment.

It is understood that pad members 12, 13 may be secured together by means other than stitching 24, as for example by adhesion with a suitable adhesive or through hot seaming the members together when the foam layers 14 are of a thermoplastic nature.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention herein described without departing from the spirit thereof, i't is understood that all matter herein shown or set forth shall be deemed illustrative and not by way of limitation except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoulder strap pad comprising a pair of opposed u at flexible pad members, means for securing said pad members together about the peripheral edges thereof while leaving opposed surface portions of said pad members in unsecured relation to each other, one of said pad members being formed with a pairof slots located adjacent each of the ends thereof for threading a garment strap therethrough to dispose a pair of spaced strap portions thereof between said pad members and to locate a strap portion intermediate said pair of strap portions on the outer surface of said slotted -pad member and between the innermost slots of said pairs of slots, and soft, exible, elongated friction pad means secured to the upper surface of said slotted pad member between said innermost slots whereby to provide for frictional contact between the upper surface of said friction Vpad means and the underside of the intermediate portion of said garment strap.

V2. A shoulder strap pad as in claim l wherein said friction pad is rectangular in shape and of a width substantially equal to the length of said slots.

3. A shoulder strap pad as in claim 2 wherein said friction pad is formed of a synthetic resin foam having a fabric reinforcement secured to the inner face thereof, the outer face thereof being roughened.

4. A shoulder pad for garment straps comprising a pair of opposed elongated, hat pad members, each pad comprising a thin porous, resilient layer and a fabric facing secured to each surface of said resilient layer, one

of said -pads being formed with a .pair of adjacent, parallel slots adjacent each end thereof and parallel thereto for receiving a garment strap threaded therethrough, a thin, soft, exible friction pad secured to the outer fabric facing of said one pad and disposed between the inner slots of said pairs of slots therein, whereby said garment strap will have an intermediate portion thereof in frictional contactV with a friction surface Vof said friction pad and portions on either side of said intermediate portion extending 'through the respective pairs of slots for frictional-contact with opposed surface portions of the facings of said resilient layers, and means for securing said pad members together about the peripheral portions thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTBD STATES PATENTS JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHOULDER STRAP PAD COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSED FLAT FLEXIBLE PAD MEMBERS, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID PAD MEMBERS TOGETHER ABOUT THE PERIPHERAL EDGES THEREOF WHILE LEAVING OPPOSED SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID PAD MEMBERS IN UNSECURED RELATION TO EACH OTHER, ONE OF SAID PAD MEMBERS BEING FORMED WITH A PAIR OF SLOTS LOCATED ADJACENT EACH OF THE ENDS THEREOF FOR THREADING A GARMENT STRAP THERETHROUGH TO DISPOSE A PAIR OF SPACED STRAP PORTIONS THEREOF BETWEEN SAID PAD MEMBERS AND TO LOCATE A STRAP PORTION INTERMEDIATE SAID PAIR OF STRAP PORTIONS ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SLOTTED PAD MEMBER AND BETWEEN THE INNERMOST SLOTS OF SAID PAIRS OF SLOTS, AND SOFT, FLEXIBLE, ELONGATED FRICTION PAD MEANS SECURED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID SLOTTED PAD MEMBER BETWEEN SAID INNERMOST SLOTS WHEREBY TO PROVIDE FOR FRICTIONAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID FRICTION PAD MEANS AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID GARMENT STRAP. 